Students launch real rockets to spark passion in math, science

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DENVER – Across the country, kids are losing interest in subjects that lead to engineering. So, what better way to get them interested than to have them build their own rockets?

"I've always been kind of frustrated with the way mathematics were taught in the schools, nobody's going to like me saying that," said Jenna Lin, director of the Mathstronauts Math and Science Camp. "But, the kids seem to be lacking a lot of the basics."

Lin is working with 200 kids at a month-long camp held at Church of the City at Colfax and Josephine. Her main goal is to find what she calls diamonds in the rough and turn them on to math and science.

"Kids who are usually labeled as problem kids," said Lin. "But, are usually pretty gifted and bored."

Dr. Warren Layfield is with the Colorado Springs Rocket Society. Layfield is a rocket scientist who was a flight engineer with NASA. He helped get the shuttle Columbia into space for the first time. Now, he's working with kids at the Mathstronauts Camp to teach them a little about astrophysics.

"Today, we need to emphasize science and math," said Layfield. "We need future engineers. How are we going to go back to the moon, to Mars, beyond?"

Layfield says there's a national crisis brewing with fewer and fewer students going into math and sciences nationwide. Layfield says other countries will soon pass the United States as leaders in technology.

"It's very important that we continue to do this, because we cannot fail," said Layfield. "We should not fail."

Twelve-year-old Avery Reagor built his first rocket. He launched it to a height of about 300 feet.

"You're going to need math for everything you do in life," said Reagor. "A lot of kids are like me and are interested in different stuff than not just sports and stuff."

Lin hopes students start to realize the sky's not the limit.

"It's really important to start reaching out to minority kids," said Lin. "They're very rarely seen as kids that can pursue mathematics or want to."